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Patented July 5, 1881.

S. G. CLARK.

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(No Model.)

FURNACE FOR THE REDUCTION OPZING, GINNABAR AND OTHER ORES.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL G. CLARK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MORITZ M.FREED, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FURNACE FOR THE REDUCTION OF ZINC, CINNABAR, AND OTHER ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,850, dated July 5,1881.

' Application filed March 22, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, SAMUEL G. CLARK, of thecity of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for theReduction of Zinc, Cinnabar, and other Ores, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an axial section through the apparatus.Fig. 2 is a detail axial section at right angles to the section shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section at y Fig. 1. v

A is the ash-pit; B, the heating-furnace, and O is the reverberatorychamber or furnace.

D is the bridge-wall, and E is the reverberatory dome or arch.

F is a flue leading from the furnace B G to the annular flue G, whichextends upward between the retort and flue-stack.

The retort or crucible is shown at H and the flue-stack at I.

Extending inwardly from the flue-stack are bricks or other projections2', that serve as side supports to the retort, the outside of the retortbeing in contact, or nearly in contact, with the projections when it isexpanded by heat.

J is the base of the flue-stack containing a cinder-chamber, N, acrosswhose top an arch, K, is thrown, that forms the support of the retort.

L is a rake-hole at the lower end of the retort. Through the hole L thespent ore may be drawn out from time to time as a portion at the bottomis divested of metal. To give access to the rake-hole 'L the door L isopened. Except when raking out spent ore from the retort the rake-hole'L and door L are closed. As the material is raked from the retort itfalls through the chute M into the hot chamber N in the base of thefurnace.

0 is a door through which the refuse may be drawn out of chamber N. Theupper part of the chamber N has a very high temperature from itsproximity to the furnace B O and flue I F, so that if any metal shouldhave escaped vaporization in the retort it shall be eliminated in thechamber N The retort may be made of the same refractory material fromtop to bottom-say of fireclay; but I prefer to make the parts of theretort ot'ditlerent material, varying in capacity to resist injury fromheat. For instance, the lower part may be of graphite or other cruciblematerial, the central part of fire-clay, and the upper part ofcast orwrought iron. I show the retort or crucible as formed in tubular sections made with a tight joint between them.

The flue-stack has a removable top, I, to allow the sections of whichthe retort is composed'to be taken out upwardly.

At P are shown ducts for the escape of metallic vapor from the interiorof the retort int-o condensing-pipes Q, whose lower ends lead to themetal-receiver B. By supplying air to-the interior of the pipes Qcombustion would take place at the mouths of the ducts P (where theycommunicate with thepipes Q) and oxide would be condensed and depositedin the condensingchamber. The upper ends of the pipes Q, enter the upperportion of the condensing-chainber S, and the vapor on entering saidchamber descends on one side of the vertical partition T, and passingbeneath the lower edge of the partition ascends on the other side of thesame, as shown by heavy arrows, to a suction-pipe, U, at the top ofchamber S. The suction-current in the pipe Uis caused by a steam-jet, V,regulated by a valve, '0. The suction-pipe U leads into anothercondensingchamber, S, where the vapors are subjected to the action ofmingled steam and watery spray from a water and steam jet, W, the Waterand steam pipes being provided, respectively, with valves or cocks w andw. The vapors descend in the chamber S on one side of the partition Tand ascend at the other side of the partition, and the unconden sedgases escape through the vent X into the open air. The products ofcombustion, 850., from the reverberatory furnace B O and any metallicvapors that may arise from the chamber N ascend in the annular flue Gand escape through a pipe, Y, whose end dis charges into thecondensing-chamber S. The steam and water jet W is set in the discharg=ing-end of the pipe Y, so as to induce a current therein and draw thevapors from the upper part of the flue-stack, It will be seen that anymetallic vapors arising from the chamber N will be condensed in thechamber S.

At 0 are doors through which metal or oxide is removed from thereceptacle R and the condensing-chamber S and S.

Z is an overflow U-formed pipe discharging through a cup, Z, upon theoutside ofthe chamber. The top of the cup is at sufficient altitude toprevent the escape of gas through the U-formed pipe.

The retort, the flue-stack, and the annular flue are shown of circularform; but I do not confine myself to this shape, for the form may bevaried without essentially changing the principle of operation.

Theoperation is as follows; In the treatment of zinc, cinnabar, andother ores the retort is filled at the door H in the upper part of thesame, and all means of escape from the retort, except through the ductsP, tightly closed, and the furnace B O is put in operation. The productsof combustion from the furnace ascending through the annular flue G willheat the retort and cause the metallic vapors to escape therefromthrough the ducts or cones P into the pipes Q, where the vaporscondensing run down the pipes in a liquid or solid form into receptacleR. The uncondensed vapors escape from the pipes Q into thecondensingchamber S, and in like manner vapors escaping condensation inthe chamber S pass into the condensing-chamber S, where the metallicvapor is condensed and is deposited in the bottom of the chamber. Airmay be admitted to the pipes Q to cause the oxidation of the zinc vaporson issuing from the ducts P into the pipes Q. When the metal has beeneliminated from the ore in the lower part of the retort the rake-hole Landdoor L are opened and the spent ore raked out from the bottom of theretort into the chute M, through which it passes into the receptacle orchamber N, in which (should there be any metal remaining in the ore) thesame is vaporized, and escapes through the passage M, annular flue G,and pipe Y to of the atmosphere, so that there is no escape of vaporfrom the charging-hole H when it is opened for the introduction of ore.This is a feature of great importance, as it prevents injury to thehealth of operatives from the in-' halation of arsenical and otherinjurious vapors.

In anotherapplication of even date herewith I claim the combination of areverberatory furnace provided with a flue and chute, a crucible orretort, and surrounding stack, with flue interposed between, incommunication with the chute or flue, as herein shown.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of retort H and stack I,provided With ducts P, flueG, condensing pipes or chambers Q, andchambers SS, with connecting-pipe U, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of retort H and stack I, provided with ducts P, flueG, condensing pipe or pipes Q, and chambers S S, with connecting-pipe U,provided with a jet, V, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of furnace 'B, flue Gr, retort H, stack I, and ductsP, connecting the inside of the retort to condensing pipes or ch amberswithout the stack.

4. "The combination of furnace B, flues F G, stack I, retort H, chamberN, connected to flue G, vapor-duct Y,jet W, and condensing chambcr S.

5. The combination of reverberatoryfurnacc B O, flues F G, retort H,stack I,,duct Y,jet WV, and condensing-chamber S.

SAMUEL G. CLARK.

Witnesses:

SAML. KNIGHT, GEo. H. KNIGHT.

